And my Oh No Canada! posters from Washington DC were hanging at the swanky gala in Vancouver, BC.

Edward Snowden even dropped in — not to congratulate me of course, but to congratulate the BCCLA Journalism Award winners, Glenn Greenwald, Barton Gellman, Laura Poitras, and Ewen McAskill. See what Snowden said in a video message from somewhere safe:

Now back to my Beijing news… Fingers crossed — Here’s hoping that Banned on the Hill lands a foreign rights deal in Beijing… or wherever… I am sure YOU and someone in Ottawa will be rooting for me! Read the release below…

When Canadian bureaucrats worked behind-the-scenes to silence artist Franke James, they could not have foreseen that their actions would be documented, illustrated and skewered in an award-winning, tell-all book, Banned on the Hill: A True Story about Dirty Oil and Government Censorship. And they certainly didn’t expect that their secret techniques would be showcased at the 2014 Beijing International Book Fair, the largest publishing industry event in the Asian Market.

James saw the government’s censorship of her voice as an opportunity to entertain, educate and inspire others to exercise their democratic right to speak up. Since May 2011, James has vigorously and creatively fought back against the government’s interference and censorship calling it an “infringement on her right to free expression”. Confronted with flat-out government denials, James filed freedom of information requests to obtain 2,172 pages of internal government documents related to her artwork and activism. The documents reveal the undemocratic truth. Canadian bureaucrats silenced her because she disagreed with the government’s inaction on climate change and their push to develop Alberta’s “oil sands” (tar sands).

“The artist’s work dealt mostly with climate change, and was advocating a message that was contrary to the government’s policies on the subject”, Jean-Bruno Villeneuve, Spokesperson, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, wrote in an internal email.

Franke James responds, “If art has to agree with government policy, then art is government propaganda.”

In Banned on the Hill: A True Story about Dirty Oil and Government Censorship, James tells how she first discovered she was being censored by the Canadian government—and how she fought back. She used investigative digging, creativity, and crowd-funding to amplify her message. Her ominous “Do Not Talk about Climate Change” poster appeared on the streets of Canada’s capital city Ottawa, in the financial heart of the oil sands, Calgary, Alberta, and in the US capital city of Washington. And now Banned on the Hill is appearing in Beijing, China.

“The awards and recognition for ‘Banned on the Hill’ are a sweet victory for me, for democracy, and for environmental voices everywhere,” commented Franke James, “And it’s a blow against those high up in the Canadian government who are trying to silence and suppress environmental voices. It’s proof that censorship does not work—especially if the person targeted can wield a paint brush and leverage social media to gain supporters from around the world.”

‘Banned on the Hill’ is a handbook for activists wanting to exercise their democratic rights and fight back against “message control”. James gives practical tips for information activists, based on her own battles and the actual documentation she received from the Canadian government:

Franke James’ battle with Canadian government secrecy is continuing. Canada’s Office of the Information Commissioner is currently investigating the government’s extensive use of redactions to cover-up selected information in the released documents, allegedly for reasons of “international security”.

2013 Silver Award, Foreword Reviews’ IndieFab Book of the Year Award, Category: Ecology and Environment

About Foreword Reviews
Foreword Reviews is for those who love great stories and yearn to discover something new from small and independent publishers and university presses. Our editors discover, curate, critique, and share reviews of books to satisfy the hunger and curiosity for new literature and authors on our website, and in our quarterly magazine which is distributed quarterly to 7500 librarians and booksellers. We recognize the best of indie at the annual IndieFab Awards and travel to international book shows, helping authors establish foreign rights relationships. Celebrating our 16th birthday this year, Foreword Reviews is located in Traverse City, Michigan, USA.
Foreword Reviews Booth at BIBF: booth Q05 in Hall E2

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Watch Franke James’ crowdfunding pitch that launched Banned on the Hill in 2013, and succeeded in putting her posters up in Ottawa, Halifax, Calgary — and then to Washington, DC.

‘Banned on the Hill’ is at the Beijing International Book Fair

Dates: August 27-31, 2014.
BIBF Location: Foreword Reviews Booth: booth Q05 in Hall E2All Foreign book rights are available.
Contact the author for book info, and foreign rights.
Read about ‘Banned on the Hill’
Buy it on Amazon.com